HEAD Coach of the NPFL All-Star team, Salisu Yusuf on Thursday released the final list of the 25-man squad to play on the friendly tour of Spain even as the organizers, LaLiga released Fixtures, time and venue of the NPFL All-Star tour which shows that their first match against LaLiga side, Valencia CF will hold inside the Alzira Stadium in the city of Valencia. The match will hold on August 10 with kick-off slated for 9.30pm Spanish time.
The NPFL All-Star team will then join the Trofoe Carranza tournament in Cadiz with their first match against EUFA Champions League and LaLiga runners-up, Atletico Madrid on August 12 at 6.30pm Spaish time.
The next fixture of the NPFL All-Star in the Carranza tournament is against Malaga CF three hours after the tie against Atletico Madrid on same August 12.
Should the NPFL All-Star make it beyond the group stage, then they will play a in the finals and should they lose in the group stage, they will also play against the other losers. All the post-group stage matches will hold on August 13.
Meanwhile, the final 25-man squad of the NPFL All-Star has been unveiled by Coach Salisu Yusuf who said the selection was based on performance in the two weeks camping. They include goalkeepers Theophilus Afelokhai of Enyimba FC, Sunshine Stars’ Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Emeka Nwabulu of Wikki Tourists.
The shortlisted defenders are Etim Mathew of Rangers, Samuel Ifeanyi Nweke of Nasarawa United, Chima Akas of Enyimba FC and Gabriel Wasa of Niger Tornadoes. The others are Austin Oboroakpo of Abia Warriors, Jamiu Alimi of Kano Pillars, Chinedu Udoji of Enyimba and Emmanuel Ariwachukwu of Akwa United.
The midfielders that made the list include Ifeanyi Ifeanyi of MFM, Obinna Nwobodo of Rangers, Ekundayo Ojo of Sunshine Stars, Rabiu Ali of Kano Pillars, Alhassan Abdullahi Ibrahim of Wikki Tourists and Charles Henlong of Wikki Tourists.
Upfront players are Bassey Ezekiel of Enyimba, Joseph Osadiaye also of Enyimba and Hussaini Mohammed Bata of El-Kanemi Warriors. Others are Chisom Egbuchulam of Rangers, Godwin Obaje of Wikki Tourists, Ismaila Gata of FC IfeanyiUbah Oluwadamilare Ojo of Enyimba and Sikiru Olatunbosun of MFM.
The League Management Company (LMC) has meanwhile announced that all the Enyimba players in the All-Star team would travel directly from the tour to Egypt for their CAF Champions League fixture against Zamalek. Shehu Dikko, the LMC Chairman disclosed this and explained that "it is to ensure that the country's remaining representative in the continental competition have the full compliment of their best players in this crucial encounter".
All the 25 players have been notified that the last phase of camping begins on Monday in Abuja. "They are to report back to camp on Monday, August 1 and would travel from camp on August 8", the LMC announced.
